The newly opened Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) complex near Essendon airport has caused quite a stir a fortnight ago and not because of the bargains that are supposed to be found there. Confusion on which exit to take from the freeway has caused traffic jams and parking problems, with reports of about 21,000 shoppers flocking to the site on opening day. Gj and I wanted to check out the new complex and went there last Saturday, or rather, almost got there. Since we weren’t familiar with the roads in the area and the exits weren’t signposted until you are almost there, we missed the exit altogether and never got there. The closest thing we got to it is looking up at its flapping banners from the top of the hill it was perched on as we zip through the freeway. We went home tired and felt that perhaps they could have found a better location for the complex, well away from the freeway and a Citylink exit (we don’t want to pay the toll if we take the wrong exit and end up in a Citylink road).

The incident made me think about the lengths people would go through just to grab a bargain, and why not? If you’re buying in bulk or had to purchase a lot of items, the savings quickly adds up. So where else could you find a bargain in Melbourne? If you’re after clothing, bags, shoes, bedding and homeware, there are a lot of other factory outlets around the city. You could go to the Brand smart complex in Nunawading (although parking may be difficult to find), Bridge Road in Richmond, Sydney Road in Brunswick or Smith Street in Collingwood. For other factory outlet locations, grab a copy of Pamms guide to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. This guide is actually a directory of bargain outlets around the city listed by suburb with each store’s contact information and payment options.

As for our shopping misadventure last weekend, we went home empty-handed from our Essendon trip and went to the DFO Cheltenham the next day instead.

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@nussh: Thanks for the tip! Iâ€™d certainly keep an eye out for those sales at the Exhibition Centre. :d

@brigid: Yeah, I guess the only place they could find big enough to accomodate those shops are in those remote areas. Maybe next time weâ€™ll be able to take the proper exit and finally see this new DFO complex. Gj was stressed out from the drive at our last attempt that it may take awhile before I could convince him to go back there. 😛